Automatic wire marking machine



Jan. 24, 1956 H. D. ADAMS ETAL ,7

AUTOMATIC WIRE MARKING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 24, 1956 ADAMS ETAL 2,731,750

AUTOMATIC WIRE MARKING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 24, 1956 H. D. ADAMS ETAL 3 AUTOMATIC WIRE MARKING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1953 e Sheets-Sheet 3 @5 e2 58 e0 54 5s w/b m AI'I'OENE 3956 H. D. ADAMS ETAL AUTOMATIC WIRE MARKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 23. 1953 jam. 24', $56 H. D. ADAMS ETAL AUTOMATIC WIRE MARKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 23, 1953 Jam. 24, 1956 H. D. ADAMS ETAL 2,731,759

AUTOMATIC WIRE MARKING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 2/2 95 5% MP 1%5 1/1/ /4/5 207/? &

United States Patent AUTGMATIC WEE MARKING MACHINE Harvey D. Adams, Playa del Rey, John E. Geasland, El Segundo, and Elmo L. Montague, West Los Angeles, Calif., assignors to Douglas Aircraft Company, inc, Santa Monica, Calif.

Application April 23, 1953, Serial No. 350,738 24 (Ilaims. (Cl. 4;l.1)

This invention relates to apparatus for identifyingly marking and segmenting or sub-dividing insulated electrical conductor wires. Its general object is to provide a machine which, after an unsegmented length of wire is manually threaded into it, will automatically feed successive predetermined portions of said length therethrough while indelibly stamping identifying data on both sides of said length at predetermined longitudinally spaced intervals on each side of the conductor and will nick, or partially or completely sever or otherwise demark these successive portions from each other for subsequent manual separation.

Currently, apparatus for marking insulated electrical conductors require more manual attention than the aforesaid manipulation of threading the one end of the wiresupply into a machine. The successive portions of the length of the wire have to be successively measured off a roll of wire by hand and manually nicked or severed before feeding into the marking machine. In order to mark the wire in that machine at the aforementioned longitudinally inwardly spaced locations from each end thereof, these locations had to either be carefully measured by hand or estimated by eye. To enable the wire to be so marked on each of two opposite sides thereof, it is currently necessary to manually rotate the wire through 180. The marked successive portions of wire are severed from each other by hand if not before marking and are stored away in storage spaces the volume of which is great because the severed lengths of wire cannot of course be coiled up in a single, compact roll.

By providing a machine which performs all these, and other, operations entirely automatically, except for the threading-in, or wire-starting, operation, all these, and other, manual operations are eliminated. Among the advantageous consequences may be mentioned the facts that in addition to expediting the production rate of individual lengths of marked electrical wire, the spacing of the markings is rendered more accurate and their clarity and dura bility is enhanced. The longitudinal dimensions of the successive portions of marked wire are also rendered more accurate and uniform.

In accomplishing this major result, the invention also provides a machine which can perform the aforesaid, and other, operations on wires of fairly widely differing gages. It can also meter out and sever off from a supply roll, wires of very widely varying lengths and maintain the accuracy of such metering within less than 1% error. The machine is capable of marking the wire portions at either widely spaced, or closely spaced, longitudinal intervals. For example, in one of the presently-preferred embodiments of the invention, the machine stamps the first ones of the required service-identification on both sides of each wire-portion within 3 inches of each .end of said portion and provides a plurality of inwardly spaced such markings which are located a predetermined number of inches apart for a length extending a predetermined number of feet inwardly from each end of said portion. The machine then automatically stamps a plurality of markings on but one side of the central region of the wire, these markings being disposed 15 inches apart. The machine thereafter returns to the two-sided stamping cycle at a point located a predetermined number of inches from the adjacent end of the wire-portion.

The stamping portion of the machine incorporates means enabling a quick change of marking characters, as well as means for indelibly marking wires the insulation of which may well be exposed to corrosive or abrasive action.

When these and the foregoing operations are completed, the machine coils the demarked but united segments of wire into small compass for storage in a relativelysmall volume, whereafter the machine automatically shuts off.

Solely in order to amplify the disclosure of these, and other, incentive concepts while rendering them more concrete and not in any wise limiting the invention, either in fact or law, to any particular design, a certain one of those manifold embodiments of these concepts which are presently contemplated will be described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be definitely understood, however that, as a matter both of fact and of law, the scope of the inventive concepts is limited only by the ambit of the annexed claims.

In these drawings,

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective View of the presently-preferred embodiment of the machine, showing a length of wire being passed through the machine from a reel thereof and undergoing marking, segmenting and coiling; I

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the control group of this machine; i

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the wire-feeding and metering mechanism and illustrating the control group in further detail; with microswitches removed for clarity;

Figure 4 is a view partly in section on line 4-4 of Figure 3, and partly in front elevation, the view showing the camming system for operating the feeding, metering, stamping, wire-turning, segmenting and coiling mechanisms of the machine;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevational .view of the machine, showing more in detail the wire-marking and segmenting portion of the machine and the coil ng 1661;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary transverse section through the machine, taken on line 66 of Fig. 5 and showing the knife-operating mechanism and the dial tie-clutching mechanism;

Figure 7 is an expanded perspective view of one ofthe mechanisms for rotating the wire to enable it .to :be stamped on either half of its periphery;

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 1 showingthe internal construction and mounting of the left-hand Wire rotating group that is shown expanded in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the wire and knife, showing the limit of penetration of the knife in nicking or segmenting the insulated conductor, and

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic representation of the electrical system of the machine, showing the controls and circuits thereof provided for effecting energization and auztomatic sequential and synchronized operation of the various sub-groups of the machine. i

The construction shown comprises a support 12 forthe mechanism which support may be a bench or table to which the various components are secured. These'components include, first, a metering and control group 13 mounted on a base ,14for controllingthe feeding, stamping, turning, nicking and coiling actions, later described, on the wire 15. The next group to be considered is the wire feeding group 17, followed by thewire marking, or stamping, turning and segmenting, or nicking, group Adjacent the right hand side (in Fig. l) of the gr oup 1 8 is one, 19, of the two 'mechanismsconstituting' wire rotating group, the other of which mechanisms, 20, lies adjacent the left-hand side of group 18. The machineassembly is terminated leftwardly by a group 22 for coiling the marked and nicked, but continuous, lengths of wire.

The control group 13 occupies the same general location in the machine as the feeding group and includes a switch-camming subgroup 23, Figs. 2, 3 and 4, for actuating circuitry-controlling microswitches disposed operatively adjacent the respective cams so as to cause the switches to close and open various electrical circuits, later described. These circuits energize and de-energize solenoids, later described, which in turn actuate the respective wire feeding, marking, rotating, nicking and coiling mechanisms. The machine-starting and stopping circuit is controlled by a manual switch, as hereinafter explained, and the automatic, pre-set timers automatically control other circuits. The camming group 23 is mounted on a shaft 24 which is driven by an electric motor 25 transmitting power through a shaft 27 extending into a gear box 28 provided with speed reducing gears, not

shown, but reducing the motors speed output at a predetermined ratio. The reduced speed rotary motion is applied to a transmission shaft 29 outwardly terminated by a driving gear 30. As shown, gear 30 drives a spur gear 32 mounted on the proximal end of shaft 24, so as to continuously rotate said shaft at a predetermined angular velocity proportioned to achieve the optimum rate of performance of the machines sub-mechanisms in synchronized or sequential steps.

On shaft 24 an adapter plate 34 is mounted and it carries a plurality of microswitches, Fig. 2, later described, this switch being carried, as shown in Fig. 2, on arms projecting axially from the face of plate 34 with the switches projecting radially inwardly from these arms so as to lie peripherally of the cams and surround the cam group substantially circularly lying around the camming group in operative radial adjacency thereto. To the distal end of shaft 24 there is mounted the camming group consisting of a plurality of cams, here shown as six in number.

Cam 35 actuates a microswitch 37, Fig. 2, that closes and opens a circuit, later described, which operates mechanisms that eifectuate the proper feeding and halting of the wire 15 during the initial and terminal phases of the marking of the predetermined length of wire in which phases the wire is marked on both sides thereof for a distance of 3 feet from the leading end of the wire, at longitudinal intervals, spaced 3 inches apart and is thereafter marked for a distance of 18 inches from the trailing end of the wire, also at points spaced 3 inches apart.

Cam 38 actuates a microswitch 39 which energizes and de-energizes the Wire-stamping mechanism later described.

Cam 40 actuates a microswitch 42 which effects operation of the two wire turning mechanisms 19 and 20, shown in Fig. 5, this operation being effected only at the two terminal regions of the pre-metered length of wire where double-stamping is required.

Cam 43 actuates a microswitch 44 which controls the wire feeding and the stamping of the lengths thereof that lie between the initial and terminal portions thereof, in which intermediate portion of the wire the markings are longitudinally spaced 15 inches apart and are imprinted upon only the one side thereof, so that no turning of the wire is required.

Cam 45 operates microswitch 47 which energizes a circuit, later described, for preventing operation of the wire-cutting or nicking mechanism before the trailing end of the metered length of wire has reached the proper point in the machine.

Cam 48 operates microswitch 49 which, through circuitry and solenoid means hereinafter described, actuates the wire nicking means when the forward tip of the leading portion of a wire length reaches the proper position in the machine;

The control group 1.3 also includes a wire-metering subgroup A, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, this group including a shaft to which a dial 72 is fixed, the dial being graduated in feet, up to a limit here shown as 100 feet. A pointer 74 is mounted to a hub 74a carried by the shaft and is fixed to the dial by the locking not shown. Carried on the dial is a stop 75 which can be set, at a value preselected in feet, with reference to a pin 73. The setting means include a hand wheel D for rotating a shaft 71 terminated at its inner end by a worm gear or worm, 81 adapted to drive a worm wheel 76 fixedly mounted on the rear face of the dial. The pointer '74 can be set, along with the stop and the dial, with reference to the pin 78. The pin 73 is slidably mounted adjacent the path of the pointer in a slot B provided in the upper edgeportion of the control panel.

When the shaft 53 is rotated clockwise by the feeding mechanism 17 (later described), the pointer eventually urges the pin 73 rightwardly. On the back face of the panel there is mounted a microswitch 83 for closing a circuit thatenergizes microswitch 44 which as aforementioned, returns the stamping machine to the cycle in which the stampings are made on the one side, only, of the wire and at intervals spaced 18. inches apart in the intermediate portion of the wire. A lever 84 extends forwardly from the microswitch 83. Also mounted on the panels rear face is another microswitch 85 which energizes a circuit as, and for the purposes, later described in connection with Fig. 10, through microswitch 49, the later being opened and closed in timed sequence in the machines operation by the cam 43 which actuates and de actuates the wire-tricking, or segmenting, mechanism described hereinafter.

The two microswitches 33 and 85 are operated in succession by means of a spring-loaded, elongate and doubleheaded slide member, or cam, 79, the one head 80 of which first strikes lever 84 and the other head 82 of which later closes contacts 87 and 88.

The aforementioned dial, pointer and stop are ac to the preselected wire length in feet and inches (the latter being registered on a rotary scale of inches, C), by means of a hand-wheel or handle D, Fig. 1, driving, through the shaft shown, a set of inches-scale-rotating gearing (not shown) and the dial-unit being operated concurrently by means of a worm-wheel 76 on the dial meshing with a worm gear 81 on the end of the shaft.

An electric timer 139 of the conventional type is mounted on the front face of the panel and is connected electrically to a microswitch 44 which is operated by a cam 43, and switch 44 is, as later particularized, connected to a stamping solenoid which etfectuates action of the stamping mechanism.

Another control shown on the panel is a pushbutton operated switch unit which includes a start button 77 and a stop button 77a actuatable to start and stop a motor 102 for operating the stamping machine through circuits and other means described in connection with Fig. 10. The front of the control panel unit also includes a toggleswitch 183, the closed condition of which is indicated by a light 184, the closed switch closing the circuit to the electric heaters for the printing dies carried by the stamping head of the machine. Another toggle switch and its closed position light 185a are provided to control the circuit to the machine as a whole from the A. C. power source, the light, when illuminated, indicating the ready condition of the entire machine.

The remaining instrumentality carried by the control panel is a conventional Veeder-Root counter E having its conventional operating solenoid so associated, as later described, with an auxiliary starting switch, operated manually after each wire-segment is completed, as to cause the counter to summate the total number of wiresegments produced by the machines.

Now describing in detail the first-acting group of the machine, that is, the wire feeding and halting group 17,

this group comprises means automatically operating after an initial setting of the dial, pointer and stop group already described, to advance predetermined successively metered and counted lengths of wire, here varying from a fraction of an inch to 98 feet, which are pulled by means in this group from a supply reel 50, through the successive operations performed thereon while they are stationary at various stations in the machine.

From reel 50 the leading end of the wire passes to a guide pulley 31 rotatably mounted on a stanchion 36, from which pulley the wire passes to a tension regulator group 41, the internal parts of which are not shown but consist of a conventional pawl-type detent in the form of a pivoted hook-shaped lever mounted therein parallel to the wire and so spring loaded as to permit the wire to pass through the tension regulator at a predetermined tensile stress to enhance the feeding and other operations thereon while enabling the hook portion to engage the wire on accidental backward movement of the wire so as to obviate back-lash of the wire.

From the tension regulator the wire passes into tangency with the grooved rubber periphery 52 of a wire feeder wheel 51 mounted on shaft 34 and driven by motor 25 through shaft 27, gear box 28, shaft 29 and gears 39 and 32.

The wire is held in the groove 52 of wheel 51 by means of a rotary, serrated wheel 53 floatingly mounted in a pivoted beam-unit 54. The one end of the beam 54 is fixedly pivoted to a framing-member or strut 55 of the machine, while the opposite end of the unit 54 is pivoted to the upper end of an operating link 56 which in turn is pivoted to the core of a solenoid 57 mounted on the framing of group 13 and is adapted, as described in connection with Fig. 10, to draw that end of the beam, and the wheel 53, downwardly. intermediate the ends of beam 54, means are provided for releasing the serrated wheel from engagement with the wire, these means consisting of a block 59 spanning the bars of beam 54 and fixed to the upper end of a compression spring 61, the lower end of which spring is fixed to the framing as shown, its action overcoming the inertia of the released, inactive solenoid, in order to raise the beam.

Wheel 53 is mounted on a shaft 58 journailed in the parallel bars of beam 54, the shaft 58 bearing, intermediate its ends, a universal joint 60. The shaft 58 is mounted, at its forward end portion, in the framing member shown, that end portion bearing a spur 62, the shaft terminating just beyond gear 62. A stub shaft 67 is mounted coaxially of shaft 58 in the frame member shown and the inner end of shaft 67 bears a large spur gear 65. Gear 65 meshes with a small driven spur 64 mounted on another stub shaft, shown, which is rotatably supported in the frame members shown. This latter stub shaft bears a large spur gear 63.

In order to return the pointer 74 to the stop 75 when the knife descends to nick the wire, the shaft 67 is divided from the pointer shaft 69, as shown, and a cone-type clutch 68 is tie-clutched to enable the dial and pointer loading spring to return same to their original positions. To effect this de-clutching a shaft 86 is rotatably associated with the knife-actuating solenoid 141 as later described. The shaft 86, through a chain-drive V, shown, operates a throw-out bearing 99, and, in the conventional manner pulls the one conical member of the clutch away from the other, thus separating the two shafts and allowing the now free, spiral-spring-loaded dial and pointer to be returned to the original position of the pointer against the stop.

The wheel 52 feeds the wire onwardly as long as wheel 53 remains in contact therewith since 52 is always rotating and sliding past the stationary wire until 53 effects gripping, the contact eriod being determined by the setting of the dial-pointer, among other determinants. As soon as the predetermined length of wire has been nicked at its distal end, de-limiitng this particular piece of printed and segmented wire, the moving pointer is de-clutched, by the operation of the de-clutching mechanism just described.

To the left of the control and wire feeding group, viewing Figs. 1 and 6, there is provided a bridge atop which is mounted a group 18 of wire-marking and segmenting mechanisms and a pair, 1920, of wire-face reversing, or wire-rotating, units for turning opposite sides of the wire into position under the stamping mechanisms so as to enable both sides of the wire to be stamped in certain locations along its length. Behind the Kingsley machine, as shown in Fig. 1, there is provided a gear-drive 98 to the Kingsley machine, which includes a clutch and cam 98a operated by a solenoid 98b, the solenoid being supported by the cantilever shown, thereby to intermittently connect themain driven shaft of the Kingsley wire-marking machine, not shown, to the power-source 102. Another solenoid and link mechanism 141, 142, etc., as shown, is located in this same region for actuating the knife, or wire-nicking mechanism 97. Beneath the bridgetop there is also provided an air cylinder and linkage mechanism 108 and 109 for actuating the wire-rotating mechanism, as later described.

The wiremarking group essentialiy consists of a conventional wire marking machine such as the one known as the Kingsley wire marking machine, which, except for certain non-substantive modifications, is substantially the same as that shown and described in the co-pending application of Richard Battle and Ralph E. Donner, Serial No. 188,252, filed Oct. 3, 1950.

Essentially, in this stamping machine, a base 89 mounted on the bridge-top carries a yoke 99 which vertically reciprocatably carries at its front end, the front end of a two-armed support and guide 91 for two parallel printing tapes 92, each having the innermost end thereof attached to a supply spool 93. The rear arm is rigidly connected to the front arm. by a tie member 94. Extending downwardly from the front arm 91 and through the forward end of the yoke is a stamping-head group 95, Fig. 5. The head 95 carries a pair of longitudinally spaced type-bars or printing dies 96 which are surrounded and heated by electric resistance type-heaters, F, adapted to heat them to about 400 F. The reciprocatable support and stamping unit is powered by the same mechanism as is employed in the well-known conventional Kingsley wire marking machine and as disclosed in the aforementioned patent application of Battle and Donner. Since these details constitute no part of the present invention, they are not illustrated or described in detail herein. Suflice it to state that the reciprocatable unit consisting of arms 91 and head 95 is operatively associated by a spring-loaded rod 131 with an eccentric cam in the Kingsley machine, the cam being fixed to a shaft driven by electric motor 192 and the cam having a portion of its periphery flattened through an arc of Riding on the periphery of this cam is a cam-follower, not shown, but carried at the lower end of the spring-loaded rod 101, the latter being mounted reciprocatahly in the frame.

Atop the base 89, adjacent its front edge, an anvil group 103 is fixedly mounted and lies in vertical, transverse and longitudinal alignment or registry with the stamping head 95. The anvil unit itself, as best seen in Fig. 5, comprises two longitudinally spaced groups each of which includes two pairs of longitudinally spaced guide-members 104, between each pair of which a type-bar 96 is adapted to fit down on the wire in marking same. The wire is threaded through these guides after having been threaded through the right-hand wire rotating, or collet group, 19.

Substantially as disclosed in the aforesaid Donner and Battle application, the tapes-feeding mechanism essentially comprises two pair of longitudinally spaced, superimposed rollers, 166, mounted atop the head 95 and between which the leading end of each tape is threaded from one of the supply spools 92. Thence each tape is led rearwardly through the spaced guide lugs shown on the arms 91 to the back of the machine for ready disposal of the used portion of each tape. The upper one of each of the two rollers in each pair is provided with a knob 107 by which it may be manually rotated to feed the tape therein onwardly and to the rear after it has been used to print the wire. If desired, however, the tapes-feeding mechanism disclosed in the aforesaid patent application may be substituted for the aforede scribed one, in which case the outer end of the therein designated live roller in each pair of superimposed rollers bears the therein-described counterclockwise-turning ratchet wheel and a spring-loaded actuating pawl therefor is pivotally mounted on the frame of me machine and extends into adjacency with the ratchet wheel. When the printing head is moved upwardly, the live roller in each pair pulls a fresh area of the tape into position under the printing dies. Opposite movements of the printing head of course idle the ratchet by the pawl.

Referring again to Figs. and 7, it will be seen that the anvil unit is flanked on each side by a wire-face-reversing, or wire-rotating unit 19, 20. The two such units are drivingly so connected, as shown, as to enable them to operate in unison at the proper junctures in the passage of the wire through the machine and to rotate the wire bodily about its longitudinal axis alternately through substantially 180 so as to position opposite sides or faces of the wire under the stamping dies for enabling doublestamping of the wire, that is, marking it on both sides in length-portions located near the ends of each wire segment, as well as only on one side of the wire in its intermediate portion.

Each of the wire rotating units 19, consists essentially of a collet constructed to be automatically clamped and de-clamped to the wire and rotatable automatically through an arc of substantially 180, minus an allowance of say 10, with the wire seized therein.

As best seen in Figs. 7 and 8, the collets are adapted to be rotated from an initial, or zero, position outwardly in the clockwise direction. One of the means at present preferred for accomplishing this motion includes an upright pressure-air-cylinder 1&8 located near the front portion of the machines frame, its piston rod 139 terminating upwardly in a rack 11% reciprocatabiy mounted in the vertical guide member shown. The rack meshes with and drives a pinion 111 mounted on a lay-shaft 119, the pinion in each group transmitting rotary power to the collet in each group, the two groups being connected by the lay-shaft 119. In controlling the air cylinder in the sequential phases of the operation of the machine, a solenoid 112, diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6, actuates a conventional reciprocatable Ross valve 113 connected by a conduit 114 to the air cylinder 108 in such a manner as to admit air actuatingly to and withdraw it from, the piston of the air cylinder. An air inlet port 115 is provided for coupling a pressurized-air hose to the air cylinder, the exhaust port not being shown. A speedregulator valve 116 is provided in the conduit 11%.

In the expanded view of Fig. 7, each wirerotators collet group is shown as comprising a unit 117 driven by a spur-gear 118 mounted coaxially around the wire and drivenly meshed with the pinion 111. The lay shaft 119 at its portion that extends into the other colletgroup, bears a similar pinion 111 for drivingly meshing with a similar driven spur 118 carried in the collet group at that end. The unit 117 is integral with the gear 118 and includes a sleeve carrying a disk 121 having a lug 122 at each of two points spaced 180 circumfcrentially thereof. The face of the disk 121 is axially perforated at points 123 spaced 90 apart, the bores bearing compression springs 124. Integral with the one face of disk 121 is a wire-clamping unit including a sleeve 125 which is cylindrical at its rear end 126, conical at its front end 127 necked down, as at 128, intermediate the cone and the cylinder. The unit 125 is peripherally segmented by four slots mutually spaced apart circumferentially 90 each. On the wire is also mounted an annular 3 member 129 which is a cylindrical, sleeved clutch-member with a hollow face. The periphery thereof lying nearer the disk 121 is provided with slots 131 registering with the lugs 122. Member 129 bears a pair of radial depressions spaced 180 apart on its outer face. The clutch member 129 has an axial length, together with its sleeve, substantially equalling that of the axial prolongation 125 of the disk 121, so that the interior cylindrical face of member 129 will abut against the springs in disk 121 with the notches 131 lapping the lugs 122 when the unit is set-up axially to clamp and rotate the wire.

An abutment-type, or stationary cam 133, for actuatingly reacting axially compressively against the other components of each collet group to urge them axially together and cause the collet itself to clamp the wire when these components are rotated in unison by the gear 118, is mounted coaxially adjacent the member 129 and has a slot 136 in its lower periphery engaged over a pin 130 fixed to the collet-group supporting frame that projects upwardly from the machines base. The cam 133 bears on its inner face a pair of radially extending lugs which contact the member 129 and perform the actual cumming. Lugs 135 normally fit loosely into the depressions 132 on the face of member 129 and the clutch member 129 nor mally fits loosely against the face of disk 121. When the rack, pinion and driven gear apply rotary motion to the collet unit, the lugs 122 comes into the slots 131 and effect rotation of the member 129 causing the lugs 135 to ride out of seats 132 and bear on the adjacent face of clutch member 129, thus forcing 129 into axial overlap with disk 121 and compressively against springs 124. At the same time, the reduced-diameter socket 137 in the axial prolongation of clutch 129 acts to radially compress the jaws 133 of the collet radially against the wire passin coaxially therethrough. The first 10 of rotation of the collet effects this radial seizing, the remaining 170 of rotation bringing the remainder of the desired particular upper or lower, as the case may be, semi-circule of the wires surface under the printing dies.

.When, on reverse movement of the rack, pinion and driven gear, reverse rotation of the collet occurs, the lugs 135 again come into the depressions 132, axial space for the leftward axial movement of member 129 is created and the compressed springs 124 axially expand and force the concerned parts leftwardly. This action freed the wire for advancing forwardly by the feeding mechanism aforedescribed.

Means are provided for nicking, de-limiting, or segmenting the wire at predetermined points of the length thereof so as to later enable easy manual severance of the pre-metered lengths of stamped wire while retaining the wire in a single continuous length as it passes through the machine. These means include an elongate knifemember 97 located substantially on center with the Kingsley wire marking machine, and mounted medianly of the anvil block 193 for vertical reciprocation to and from the Wire halted in this station. As shown in Fig. 6, the elongate knife member includes a sickle-like upper endportion configured for the sharp inner edge of the hook to be urged downwardly against the wire lying between it and the cutting block 139 mounted medianly of the anvil with its upper face lying slightly below the upper face of the anvil. The downward motion of the knife edge is restricted to a distance not greater than threefourths of the diameter of the wire.

The mechanism for reciprocating the knife on the stationary wire, at proper junctures in the passage of the wire throu h the machine is shown in detail in Fig. 6 and comprises a solenoid 141 mounted on the base and energized and de-energized by the mechanism that includes cam 48 and microswitch 49 as shown in Fig. 3. The movable core of the solenoid 141 is linked to a lever 142 pivoted at 143 to a support. Stops and stroke adjusters 144 and 145 are provided for varying the stroke of lever 142. Intermediate its ends, lever 142 is pivotally attached to the lower end of the knife-bar.

The outer end of lever 142 is spring loaded and is linked by members 146 and 147 to a dial de-clutching rod 86 extending to the dial clutching and de-clutching mechanism 68 in the control group 13, as, and for the purposes, hereinabove described. 7

The final, or finished wire re-coiling group, 22 consists, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, of a reel 148 for taking up the connected segments of marked wire in a coil on a collapsible, framework which can be manually radially constricted to such a diameter as to permit the coil to be slipped off the reel.

To this end, the reel is driven by a motor 149 mounted on the table and, as shortly explained, continuously directing power to the normally positively braked reel through a drive-belt which slips on the periphery of the reel until, at intermittent moments when the finished wire-lengths are released, the brake is released and the reel is allowed to rotate temporarily. The reel comprises, as best seen in Fig. l, eight longitudinally extending bars 151 spaced circumfercntially apart, the top and bottom bars being pivotally attached at their rear ends to a circular headerplate 153 located at the rear of the reel. A reel-collapsing system is provided for pulling the free front ends of the top and bottom bars together so as to collapse the reel and enable removal endwise thereof of the desired coil of completed, partially united wire-segments. This reelcollapsing, or partially collapsing system comprises a handle-bearing plunger 155 and a toggle-linkage 156 connected to the pivoted top and bottom bars. The handled-plunger 155 is reciprocatably mounted in a plate 157 transversely uniting the six fixed rods which are rigidly united at their rear ends to the circular plate 153. The reel thus constituted is rotatably mounted on a two-armed bracket 158, Fig. 1, carried by the base 12, being provided with a spindle 159 fixed coaxially to the rear face of the reel and passing horizontally through bores 161 in the bracket arms, the proximal, or front, one of the bores carrying a bearing 162. For rotating the collapsible reel thus mounted, an electric motor carried on the base 12 of the machine drives, through suitable shafting and reduction gearing, a pulley 164 mounted on the forward end of the motors power transmission shaft and drivingly connected by a belt 165 to another pulley 166 fixed coaxially to the spindle 159. The pulley 164 drives the belt continuously, since the motor runs continuously, but the belt, normally slips on the pulley 166 without rotating the reel.

A- normally active braking system for the reel is provided sub-adjacent the plate 153 and is effective to usually hold the reel stationary until released by the central control system. This braking system includes a brake beam 167 carrying a shoe 168 at its one end and pivoted to the base 12 at a pivotal point 169 lying intermediate the ends of the beam. Shoe 168 is normally held brakingly but releasably against the periphery of plate 153 by means of an arrangement comprising a vertically extending rod 171 actuatable by virtue of its connection to a solenoid 172 mounted sub-adjacent the top of table 12. Disposed around the rod and extending between the headed upper end of the rod and the beam and bearing on both said head and said beam is a compression spring 173. A collar 174 is fixed to the rod sub-adjacent the beam.

When solenoid 172 is energized to urge the rod upwardly, the collar 174 forces the outer end of the beam upwardly about pivot 169, removing the brake-shoe from contact with the reel so that the latter may be rotated by the motor to coil the finished wire lengths on the reel.

To operate the machine, the attendant first closes the toggle switch 183 a few minutes before the machine is to be used, in order to heat the electrical die heaters. This closing causes energy to pass from the positive pole 182 of the A. C. source through the bus bar L, thereof and through the two die-heaters H connected in electrical ,parallel and concurrently in parallel through thepilot-light 184.

When the temperature of the die-heaters reaches a value of the order of 400 F. as indicated by the conventional indicators on the faces of the die-heaters, the machineconditioning, or readying, switch 185 is closed which closing also illuminates its pilot light 185a, thereby indicating that the machine parts are in proper relative and phase positions for sequential operation.

The Veeder-Root counter, E, is then manually set to predetermine the number of pieces of wire to be automatically processed and wound in a coil on the coiling reel.

The closing of switch 185 and the setting of the counter together direct energy through the coil 186 and the contacts 187 constituting a contact-relay designatable CRll. The energy is also passed through the closed Veeder-Root counters limiting switch 188 by the manual setting of the counter and completes the circuits for the next operation. Concurrently, energy is passed, by this setup, through the circuitry of timer 190 mounted below the table, and through the coil 191 of a contact-relay CR10, closing the contacts 1910 of the latter, thus pre-conditioning a circuit through the machines start switch 193 which is completed on pushing button 77.

However, before this button 77 is pressed, the length of wire desired in each of the successive pieces is set on dial 72 and the associated metering mechanism by rotating the hand wheel D to move the dial and pointer the desired amount.

The operator then presses start button 77, holding it in for a time period of the order of tWo seconds. This closes the start switch 193, completing the circuit to contact relay CR10, or 191, 191a and to the contact relays 194-495, designatable CR1, the latter sealing in the circuit around the start switch 193 and closing the four con-- tacts necessary to energize the feeding motor 25 and the Kingsley stamping machine motor 102 and the circuit to the automatic sequence means.

This series of electrical actions also opens the circuit to the conventional solenoid (not shown) of the conven-- tional Veeder-Root counter through the auxiliary starting means 2415, blocking out counter-movement-causing cir-- cuits and preventing operations that would cause countermovement of the wire at the time of the first nicking of thewire. switch 49, the latter, when closed by its cam on shaft 24,. energizing contact-relays 196-197, or CR2; 198-199,. or CR-ZF, and 2t)0201, or CR-ZT. The contacts portion, 197, of contact-relay 196197 closes the circuit. from the positive pole of the power source to the micro-- switch 49, and these closed contacts hold the circuit:

closed for the length of time that cam 48 or shaft 24 holdsthe microswitch 49 closed. This time interval is sufficient to enable the clutch 68 in the dial group to engage or be-- come operative.

The proper point in the leading-portion of the pro-hie tered length of wire is, by these actions, now located station ary under the knife. This action constitutes the first step in an integral sequence of steps which sequence consists of this feeding and halting of the Wire under the knife; nick-- ing, feeding predetermined relatively short increments of' length of the leading-portion of the wire, in the present embodiment, in increments spaced 6 inches on center or 3 inches between the adjacent ends of the stampings. and double stamping the wire at each of these incremental points, rotating the wire as required through substantially 180 in alternate directions to enable this doublestamping; changing the feeding increments to 18 inches on center, or 15 inches between adjacent ends of the adjacent stampings; stamping the Wire on one side only; changing the feeding increments back to the original 6 inches near the trailing portion of the wire; repeating the stamping and rotating steps as performed at the leading portion of the wire; nicking the wire at a predetermined point terminating the trailing portion, and finally feeding the finished wire length onto the coiling reel.

This setup also closes the circuit to the micro-- Returning now to the sequence of mechanical and electrical actions, the closing of contact-relay 198-199, or CRZF, closes the circuit through solenoid 141 and causes it to actuate the knife operating linkage shown most clearly in Fig. 6, drawing the knife downwardly into the wire and through about three-fourths the diameter thereof. Closing of CRZF, of course, is predicated upon the closing of microswitch 439 by its cam 43 on shaft 24, which action occurs as soon as the wire stops. The solenoid 141 is de-energized as soon as the cam, above, rides off the microswitch, effecting lifting of the knife out of the wire.

The next occurrence consists in the double-stamping of the leading-portion of the wire, and towards this end, the closing of contact-relay 2ili-2-31, or CRZT, closes the circuit to the timer 189, that is, timer number 1, the latter then beginning to run out its automatic irning cycle. Concurrently, the three contact-pairs 2'99 of contact-relay 208-269, or CR6, close because of the energy released thereto from the foregoing set-up, and this closing seals in the timer 189s circuit and opens the circuit to microswitch 44. This action and this condition also biock out the instrumentalities which effectuate the single stamping operations, precluding their occurring at the leading portion of the wire. It also closes the circuits to microswitches 37, 39 and 42, which can then be effectively operated by earns 35, 38 and 4-9 on shaft 24, which maintain them closed for the duration of the setting of the timer 189. This period of time coincides with the double-stamping of the leading portion of the wire.

The closing of microswitch 37 closes the circuit to contact-relay 213-21d, or CR5. having two sets of contacts, 214, which enables actuation of solenoid 57, thus, after the one double stamping, feeding the wire 6 inches forwardly. This circuitry also de-energizes solenoid 172 releasing the coiling-reel brake and allowing its motor to rotate it and take-up the finished portion of the wire. The brake 168 of the ceiling reel 148 is of course on during the actual stamping or nicking operations, this on condition being its normal condition because the solenoid is normally de-energized. However, solenoid 172 is energized after each stamping or nicking operation, because the contact relay 233-214, or CR; is caused by its cam and microswitch group to energize the feeding solenoid 57 and the reel-motor 163 and to energize the braking solenoid 172, de-braking the coiling reel and allowing it to take up the finished" portion of the wire fed by wheel 53.

The closing of microswitch 39 effects closing of the circuit to contact-relay 22i1212, or CR3, energizing solenoid 93, which effects stamping.

Intermediate these latter or stamping actions, the Ross valve 113, controlling flow to the air cylinder that turns the collcts for reversing the facing of the wire, is actuated, after each stamping, by means of control cam-closed microswitch 42 and solenoid 112 through contact-relay 20S--2ii9, or CR6. To return the turned wire to its original position, the cam-closing of the microswitch 47 de-energizes solenoid 112. through contact-relay 207 297a, or C1112.

The aforementioned sequence of steps, feeding, stamping, turning, feeding and again double-stamping the wire are automatically repeated on the leading portion until timer 189 times out, which effects de-energization of contact relay 2il'82ti9, thus ending the double-stamping of the leading-portion of the wire. More specifically, the timers timing out closes the circuit to the microswitch 44 through microswitch SS and microswitch 83. Switch 44-, in turn, closes the circuit to solenoid 57, thus effecting forward feeding of the wire for the single-stamping in the intermediate portion thereof. This feeding occurs in increments of 18 inches, on center, or, inches between the juxtaposed ends of adjacent stampings.

First, however, at the end of the double-stamping operations on the leading-portion of the wire and just before 12 single-stamping commences, the sequence-synchronizing relay 207, 207a, is rendered effective to preclude forward feeding of the wire until the circuitry controlled by this relay, by the cams on shaft 24 and by the adjacent microswitchcs, arrive by rotation of shaft 24, etc., at their proper positions. This relay operates very near the end of the double-stamping operations on the leading portion. In rendering this synchronizing relay effective, the timing out of the timer closes the circuit to microswitch 44 through the microswitches and 83. Switch 44 in turn closes the circuit to solenoid 57, thus effecting forward feeding of the wire, to enable single-stamping in the intermediate portion of the wire. This feeding occurs in increments of 18 inches, on center, or 15 inches between adjacent ends of juxtaposed markings.

More particularly explaining the initiation of the single stamping phase, it will be observed that the end of the doubl -stamping on the leading postion of the wire, just before this aforesaid single stamping occurs, timer '189 has timed out" and has thus closed the contacts of contact relay 208-209, or CR6. This'closure supplies energy to microswitch 44, initiating the single stamping in the intermediate portion 'of the wire which continues until arm 74 on the metering dial operates microswitch 83; The latter operation sets up a circuit block or lock out through the feeding means until microswitch 47 is rotated by shaft 24 into its proper position for operation by cam 45.

This 18 inch feeding and single-side stamping is automatically performed until the dial pointer 74 strikes and moves the pin 78, effecting actuation of microswitch 83, which opens the circuit to microswitch 44, halting the 18 inch-feeding and terminating the single-stamping.

Cam 3% maintains microswitch 39 closed until a point lying 18 inches from the trailing end of the wire reaches on center with the stamping unit. A delay in the recommencement of the double-stamping operation occurs at this juncture so as to assure the proper positioning of the parts. To effect this delay, the opening of microswitch 83 also effects closing of the circuit to microswitch 47. This holds out the 6-inch sequence-effecting instrumentaiities until the concerned parts are in proper position.

Thereupon, microswitch 47 closes through the operation thereon of cam 45, elfecting energization of contact relay 2%7-297a. The coil Z87 of'contact-relay 207- 2670 closes two pairs of contacts, 207a, one of which lies across microswitch 47, thus scaling in this circuit. The other contacts establish a circuit through microswitches 37,, and 42 lay-passing or shunting around timer 189 and thus being independent of it.

This re-initiates the double-stamping operations, which occur this time on the trailing portion of the wire. In this double-stamping of the trailing portion, cams 35, 3S and 49 on shaft 24 actuate their associated microswitches 37, 39, and 42 until microswitch 204 is closed and sets microswitch 49 for actuation by cam 48. When cam 48 actuates 49, the solenoid 141 and the wire nicking and the de-clutching mechanisms are actuated as hereinabove described.

It is to be noted, however, that before the machine enters into this double-stamping of the trailing portion, the synchronizing relay 2072G7a is holding the wirefeeding instrumentalities inactive and does so until the proper cams arrive in their proper phase-positions with reference to the microswitches. This second delaying action occurs near the end of the single stamping phase just described and conditions the machine for the ensuing double-stamping operations.

Upon occurrence of actual lock-out of these circuits, through the action of the cam and microswitch aforedescribed, the machine pre-selects the number of doublestampings on the trailing portion of the wire.

These final double-stamping operations on the trailing portion of the wire, described in the third paragraph 13 above, continue until the arm 74 on the metering dial actuates microswitch 85 when microswitch 85 is operated by its cam, it also energizes the cutting solenoid 141. It also energizes the counting solenoid in the Veeder-Root counter and releases the clutch 68. The latter release allows pointer 74 to return to its original position.

The mechanical and electrical sequential actions aforedescribed in connection with a single length of wire are automatically repeated on each of the successive premetered lengths of wire until the total number of lengths, pre-set on the Veeder-Root counter, has been reached. At this juncture, the Veeder-Root counters limit switch 188 and contact relay 186187, or CR11, activate timer 190. When 190 times-out, it de-energizes the coil of contact relay 191-19111, or CR10, opening the obvious machine-stopping circuits through contact-relay 194-195 and halting the operation of the machine. This setting of 190 occurs before the final nicking, and the timer runs out and stops the machine just after the final nicking operation.

The time-delay mentioned as occurring in the lastmentioned actions is for the purpose of allowing the machine to complete its last stamping action so that the knife will not descend before the last of the stampings, both sides of the trailing portion, have been made on a given length of wire.

It will now be perceived that the manual attention and manipulations involved in the use of the machine are quite limited in number and simple and short in nature. Summarizing them, they consist, first, in threading the leading end of the wire into the machine, then closing the toggle switches; setting the Veeder-Root counter by means of its knob and setting the one length desired for each of the successive pieces of wire to be operated upon, on the pointer and feet metering dial group and on the inches cylinder, both by means of the hand wheel. The operator then presses the start button and holds it in for about two seconds. On release of this button, the machine automatically nicks and delimits the leading end point of the wire-length concerned; marks this wire length on both sides thereof starting at a predetermined distance inwardly from this leading end, placing the marks on both sides of the wire, the marks on opposite sides being radially aligned and adjacent marks being spaced at predetermined intervals. The machine then automatically changes to stamping the Wire in the portion thereof lying intermediate the leading and trailing portion on one side, and at longer intervals. It then automatically changes back to the double-stamping cycle, marking the trailing portion on both sides in the same manner as the leading portion. The finished portions are automatically taken up by the coiling reel as they are completed and at the terminal point of the trailing portion of the pre-metered length of wire, the machine automatically forms a de-limiting nick, compieting the operation on the one length of wire.

Successive wire-lengths or articles, are treated in the same manner.

Although certain specific design parts, arrangements and dimensions have been described in detail, it is to be understood that this description has been presented for the purpose of rendering this disclosure more concrete and is in no manner limitative of the scope of the invention.

For example, the number of stampings on each side of the wire may be varied as desired, as well as the distance between stampings, without necessitating any changes in the mechanical or electrical parts of a nature which would involve departure from the present invention.

The scope of the invention therefore, is to be ascertained from the appended claims which define the invention in terms of its essential structural configurations.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for marking a linear article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon, comprising: a base; a first power source; article-receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of'said base for receiving the leading end of an elongate article to be marked and feeding same onwardly in the machine, said feeding means being alternately activatable and de-activatable to respectively feed the article onwardly and to halt predetermined points thereof in a predetermined position in the apparatus; means drivingly connecting said first power source to said feeding means; controllable actuator means operatively connected to said feeding means and operable oppositely to activate said feeding means to effect advance of said article and to deactivate said feeding means to halt said article respectively; a second power source; article marking means disposed on said base onwardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark said article in longitudinally spaced predetermined loci thereon when the article is halted with said predetermined loci in said predetermined position; controllable actuator means connected to said marking means for activating and de-activating same so as to mark said article in said loci; control-means having operative connection to each of said controllable means and adapted for controlling the latter in pre-timed, sequential phases of operation; and means for enabling egress of the trailing end of said article from said apparatus after same has been completely marked.

2. Apparatus for marking a linear article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon, comprising: a base; a power source; article-receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of said base for receiving the leading end of a linear article to be marked and feeding same onwardly in the machine, said means being alternately activatable and de-activatable to respectively feed the article onwardly in the lengthwise direction of the article and to halt predetermined points of the article in a predetermined position of its advance in the apparatus; means drivingly connecting said power source to said feeding means; controllable actuator means operatively connected to said feeding means and operable oppositely to activate said feeding means to effect advance of said article and to de-activate said feeding means to halt said article; article means disposed on said base onwardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark said article in longitudinally spaced predetermined loci thereon when the article is halted with said predetermined loci in said predetermined position; means operatively connecting said marking means to said power source to effect activation and deactivation of said marking means; controllable actuator means connected to said marking means for activating and de-activating same to effect marking of said article in said loci; control-means having operative connection to each of said controllable means and adapted for controlling the latter in predetermined, timed, sequential phases of feeding and marking operations; and means for enabling egress of the trailing end of said article from said apparatus after same had been completely marked.

3. Apparatus for delimiting in a substantially indeterminate length of a linear article, a predetermined length of said article and marking said length at longitudinally spaced loci lying within the predetermined limits of said length, comprising: a base; a first source of power; aiticle receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of said base for receiving the leading end of a linear article to be marked, said means being activatable and de-activatable to feed the article onwardly in the lengtthwise direction of the article and to halt the article in a predetermined position of its advance in the apparatus; means drivably connecting said first power source to said feeding means; controllable means connected to said feeding means and operable to activate said feeding means so as to advance said article and to de-activate said feeding means to halt said article;

marking a second source of power; marking means disposed said base onwardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark said article in predetermined longitudinally spaced loci thereon when the latter are successively stationary in said predetermined position; controllable means connected to said marking means for activating and de-activating same; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for delimiting a pre-determined length in said substantial interminable article; controllable means connected to said delimiting means for activating and de-activating same; control means connected to each of said controllable means for controlling the feeding, delimiting and marking means in timed sequential phases of operation; and means for enabling egress from the apparatus of said predetermined delimited length of article after same has been marked.

4. Apparatus for delimiting and marking between termini, a predetermined length in a substantially interminable linear article, comprising: a base; a first source of power; article-receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of said base for receiving the leading end of a linear article to be marked, said means being activatable and de-activatable to feed the article onwardly in the lengthwise direction of the article and to halt the article in a predetermined position of its advance in the apparatus; means drivably connecting said first power source to said feeding means; pre-settable lengthmetering means connected to said feeding means; controllable means connected to said feeding means and operable to activate said feeding means so as to advance said article and to de-activate said feeding means to halt said article; a second source of power; marking means disposed on said base onwardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark said article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon when the latter are successively stationary in said predetermined position; controllable means connected to said marking means for activating and de-activating same; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for making formations in successive longitudinally spaced stationary portions of said linear article so as to define termini at the ends: of said predetermined length of said linear article; controllable means connected to said formations making means for activating and de-activating same; control means connected to each of said controllable means for controlling said feeding, marking and formations-making means in timed, sequential phases of operation of the apparatus; and means for enabling egress from the apparatus of said metered length of article after same has been marked and delimited.

5. Apparatus for delimiting and marking between termini, a predetermined length in a substantially interminable linear article, comprising: a base; a first source of power; article-receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of said base for receiving the leading end of a linear article to be marked, said means being activatable and de-activatable to feed the article onwardly in the lengthwise direction of the article and to halt the article in a predetermined position of its advance in the apparatus; means drivabiy connecting said first power source to said feeding means; pre-settable lengthmetering means connected to said feeding means; controllable means connected to said feeding means and openable to activate said feeding means so as to advance said article and to tie-activate said feeding means to halt said article; a second source of power; said metering means including engageable and disengageable clutchmeans operatively interposed in said connection and means responsive to an action taken on said article at said predetermined position for disengaging said disengageable means and halting the feeding of said article;

marking means'dis'posed on said base onwardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark said article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon when the latter are successively stationary in said predetermined position; controllable means connected to said marking means for activating and de-activating same; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for making formations in successive longitudinally spaced stationary portions of said article so as to define termini at the ends of said predetermined length of said article; controllable means connected to said formations making means for activating and de-activating same; control means connected to each of said controllable means for controlling said feeding, marking and formations-making means in timed, sequential phases of operation of the apparatus; and means for enabling egress from the apparatus of said metered length of article after same has been marked and delimited.

6: Apparatus for marking a linear article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon, comprising: a base; a first power source; article-receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of said base for receiving the leading end of a linear article to be marked and feeding same onwardly in the machine, said feeding means being alternately activatable and de-activatable to respectively feed the article onwardly and to halt predetermined points thereof in a predetermined position in the apparatus; means drivingly connecting said first power-input means to said feeding means; controllable actuator means operatively connected to said feeding means and operable oppositely to activate said feeding means to eifect advance of said article and to de-activate said feeding means to halt said article respectively; a second power source; marking means disposed on said base onwardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark said article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon when the latter are successively stationary in said predetermined position; article-clamping means disposed longitudinally adjacent each side of said marking means and lying coaxially outwardly of the path of said article normally in radial clearance therefrom and adapted to be radially contracted onto said article; means for rotating said article about its longitudinal axis so as to enable the marking means to mark said article on each of two opposite sides thereof; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for making formations in successive longitudinally spaced stationary portions of said article so as to define termini at the ends of said predetermined length of said article; controllable means connected to said formation-making means for activating and de-activating same; control means connected to each of said controllable means for controlling the feeding, metering, marking and delimiting means in timed, sequential phases; and means for enabling egress from the apparatus of said metered length of article after same has been marked.

7. Apparatus for delimiting and marking between termini, a predetermined length in a substantially interminable linear article, comprising: a base; a first source of power; article-receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of said base for receiving the leading end of a linear article to be marked, said means being activatable and de-activatable to feed the article onwardly in the length-wise direction of the article and to halt the article in a predetermined position of its advance in the apparatus; means drivably connecting said first power source to said feeding means; pre-settable length-metering means connected to said feeding means; controllable means connected to said feeding means and operable to activate said feeding means so as to advance said article in predetermined increments and to de-activate said feeding means to halt said article in said predetermined position; a second source of power; means disposed on said base onwardly of said means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark said article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon when the latter are successively stationary in said predetermined positions; controllable means connected to said marking means for activating and de-activating same; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for making formations in successive longitudinally spaced stationary portions of said linear article so as to define termini at the ends of said predetermined length of said linear article; controllable means connected to said formations-making means for activating and de-activating same; articleclamping means disposed longitudinally adjacent each side of said marking means and lying coaxially outwardly of the path of said linear article normally in radial clearance therefrom and adapted to be radially contracted onto said article; means for rotating said linear article about its longitudinal axis so as to enable the marking means to mark said linear article on each of two opposite sides thereof; timer-means openatively connected to each of said controllable means and p're-settable to so actuate said controllable means connected to said feeding means as to deactivate the feeding means from feeding in said predetermined increment and to effect feeding of said feeding means in another predetermined increment, said timer-means being pre-settable to so actuate said controllable means connected to said article-rotating means as to halt said rotations and cause the marking means to mark on only the one side of said linear article; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for making formations in successively longitudinally spaced stationary portions of said linear article so as to define termini at the ends of said predetermined length of said linear article; controllable means comiected to said formations-making means for activating and (lo-activating same; control means connected to each of said controllable means and operative to control same in timed, sequential, phases of feeding, metering, delimiting and marking; and means for enabling egress from the apparatus of said metered-length of article after same has been marked and delimited.

8. Apparatus for marking a linear article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon, comprising: a base; a power source; article-receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of said base for receiving the leading end of a linear article to be marked and feeding same onwardly in the machine, said means being alternately activatable and de-activatable to respectively feed the article onwardly in the lengthwise direction of the article and to halt predetermined points of the article in a predetermined position of its advance in the apparatus; means drivingly connecting said power source to said feeding means; controllable actuator means operatively connected to said feeding means and operable oppositely to activate said feeding means to effect advance of said article and to de-activate said feeding means to halt said article; article-marking means disposed on said base on wardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark said article in longitudinally spaced predetermined loci thereon when the article is halted with said predetermined loci in said predetermined position; means operatively connecting said marking means to said power source to effect activation and de-activation of said marking means; controllable actuator means connected to said marking means for activating and de-activating same to effect marking of said article in said loci; pre-settable counting means so connected to said delimiting means as to predetermine the total number of said delimited and marked lengths of said linear article to be produced by the apparatus; control means connected to each of marking feeding 18 said controllable means for controlling same in predetermined sequential, phases of feeding, metering, delimiting and marking operations; control means connected to each of said controllable means for controlling the feeding, metering, delimiting and marking means in timed, sequented phases; and means for enabling egress from the apparatus of said marked, predeterminedly delimited length of said article.

9. Apparatus for delimiting in a substantially indeterminate length of a linear article, a predetermined length of said article and marking said length at longitudinally spaced loci lying within. the predetermined limits of said length, comprising: a base; a first source of power; articlereceiving and feeding means disposed on the one end portion of said base for receiving the leading end of a linear article to be marked, said means being activatable and de-activatable to feed the article onwardly in the lengthwise direction of the article and to halt the article in a predetermined position of its advance in the apparatus; means drivably connecting said first power source to said feeding means; controllable means connected to said feeding means and operable to activate said feeding means so as to advance said article and to de-activate said feeding means to halt said article; a second source of power; marking'means disposed on said base onwardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark saidv article in predetermined longitudinally spaced loci thereon when the latter are successively stationary in said predetermined position; controllable means connected to said marking means for activating and de-activating same; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for delimiting a predetermined length in said substantial interminable article; controllable means connected to said delimiting means for activating and de-activating same; reel means disposed onwardly of said marking and delimiting means for removably coiling the joined, delimited and marked lengths of said linear article; control means connected to each of said controllable means for controlling same in predetermined, sequential phases of feeding, metering, delimiting, marking and coiling operations; and means incorporated in said coiling means for enabling removal from the apparatus of a coil of predeterminedly delimited marked lengths of said article.

10. Apparatus for delimiting in a linear article of indeterminate length a number of predetermined lengths of said articleand marking each of said lengths at longitudinally spaced loci lying within predetermined limits of said length, comprising: a base; a first source of power; article-receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of said base for receiving the leading end of a linear article to be marked, said means being activatable and de-activatable to feed the article onwardly in the lengthwise direction of the article and to halt the article in a predetermined position of its advance in the apparatus; means drivingly connecting said first power source to said feeding means; controllable means connected to said feeding means so as to advance said article and to ole-activate said feeding means to halt said article; means adjacent said one end-portion for rotatably supporting a coiled supply of said linear article with the leading end thereof threaded through said receiving and feeding means, said coil being susceptible to overrun, unidirectionally-active detent type tension regulating means disposed in the path of said linear article between the coiledsupply supporting means and said receiving and feeding means and adapted to be activated to so engage said linear article as tominimize forward-feeding tension in said supply of said linear article when slack is formed therein-by overrun of said coiled supply; marking means disposed on said base onwardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position said means being activatable to mark saidarticle in longitudinally spaced loci thereon when the latter are successively stationary in said predetermined position; controllable means connected to said marking means for activating and deactivating same; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for delimiting a predetermined length in said substantially interminable article; controllable means connected to said delimiting means for activating and de-activating same; means disposed onwardly of said marking and delimiting means for removably coiling the joined delimited and marked lengths of said elongate article; control means connected to each of said controllable means for controlling same in predetermined, sequential phases of feeding, metering, delimiting, marking and coiling operations; and means for enabling removal from the apparatus of a coil of said predeterminedly delimited and marked lengths of said article.

ll. Apparatus for delimiting and marking between termini, a predetermined length in a substantially indeterminately long linear article, comprising: a base; a first power source; article receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of said base for receiving the leading end of linear articles of dilfering diameters, said means being activatable and de-activatable to feed the article onwardly in the lengthwise direction of the article and to halt the article in a predetermined position of its advance in the apparatus; means drivingly connecting said first power input means to said feeding means; presettable length-metering means connected to said feeding means; controllable means connected to said feeding means and operable to activate said feeding means so as to advance said article and to tie-activate said feeding means to halt said article; a second power source; marking means disposed on said base onwardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark linear articles of differing diameters in longitudinally spaced loci thereon when the latter are successively stationary insaid predetermined position; controllable means connected to said marking means for activating and de-activating same; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for making formations in successive longitudinally spaced stationary portions of said elongate article so as to define termini at the ends of said predetermined length of said elongate article; controllable means connected to said formations-making means for activating and de-activating same; variable-diameter article-clamping means disposed longitudinally adjacent each side of said marking means and lying coaxially outwardly of the path of said linear article normally in radial clearance therefrom and adapted to receive and radially clamp linear articles of differing diameters; means for rotating the clamped elongate article about its longitudinal axis so as to enable the marking means to mark said linear article in longitudinally spaced loci on each of two opposite sides thereof, when these loci are successively stationary in said predetermined position; controllable means connected to said marking means for activating and tie-activating same; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for making formations in successive, longitudinally spaced stationary portions of said linear article so as to define termini at the ends of said predetermined length of said linear article; controllable means connected to said formations-making means for activating and de-activating same; control means connected to each of said controllable means for controlling same in predetermined, sequential phases of feeding, metering, delimiting, and marking operations; and means for enabling egress from the apparatus of said metered delimited article marked on opposite sides.

12. A control system for a linear article marking apparatus of the type that includes activatable and deactivatable means for receiving and feedingonwardly and for halting the articlein a predetermined position, the

leading portion of a linear article, means for marking said linear article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon when the latter are stationary in said position, and individual controllable means operatively connected to each of the aforesaid means and operable to activate said means to advance and mark the article, said means being renderable inoperable to halt the article in said predetermined position at predetermined phases of the advance of said article, said control system comprising: a source of electrical energy; mechanical powerinput means; a rotary shaft connected to, and continuously driven by, said powerinput means; conductor paths for conducting electrical energy to, and away from, each of said controllable means, the conductive paths to each of said controllable means being connected to said energy source and having two sets of oppositely disposed terminals, the one set thereof being operatively flow-connected to said controllable means and the opposite set of terminals being disposed adjacent said rotary shaft and closable to establish a circuit through said conductor paths; and independent means mounted on said rotary shaft in operative adjacency to said closable termini and adapted to close same to establish actuating fiow of energy through said conductor paths at predetermined points of the rotation of said shaft, said points being so disposed with reference to the 360 path of rotation of said shaft as to actuate said controllable means seriately in order to first effect feeding of said linear article and then to effect marking of same.

13. Apparatus for delimiting in a substantially indeterminate length of a linear article, a predetermined length of said article and marking said length at longitudinally spaced loci lying within the predetermined limits of said length, comprising: a base; a first source of power; article-receiving and feeding means disposed on the one end-portion of said base for receiving the leading end of a linear article to be marked, said means being activatable and de-activatable to feed the article onwardly in the lengthwise direction of the article and to halt the article in a predetermined position of its advance in the apparatus; means drivably connecting said first power source to said feeding means; controllable means connected to said feeding means and operable to activate said feeding means so as to advance said article and to deactivate said feeding means to halt said article; a second source of power; marking means disposed on said base onwardly of said feeding means and lying operatively adjacent to the path of said article and to said predetermined position, said means being activatable to mark said article in predetermined longitudinally spaced loci thereon when the latter are successively stationary in said predetermined position; controllable means connected to said marking means for activating and de-activating same; means disposed operatively adjacent said predetermined position for delimiting a predetermined length in said substantial interminable article; controllable means connected to said delimiting means for activating and deactivating same; reel means disposed onwardly of said marking and delimiting means for removably coiling the joined, delimited and marked lengths of said linear article; normally active braking means arranged operatively adjacent said article-coiling means so as to normally elfect braking of said coiling means; controllable means operatively associated wtih said braking means and controllably connected to said control means so as to deactuate said braking means when said linear article is to be coiled thereon; control means connected to each of said controllable means for controlling same in predetermined, sequential phases of feeding, metering, delimiting, marking and coiling operations; and means incorporated in said coiling means for at least partially collapsing same radially so as to enable removal from the apparatus of a coil of predeterminedly delimited, marked lengths of said article.

14. In apparatus of the type described, a metering means for delimiting predetermined sub-lengths in a linear answer) 23 article, comprising: means for receiving and feeding onwardly the leading portion of a linear article; power source drivingly 'connectible to said feeding means; clutch means disposed in said feeding means; index means; rotary power transmission means operatively connecting said index means and said power-input means; an indicator fixed to said rotary power transmission means and adapted to be moved indicatingly with said index means; a stop-member carried by said index means and constituting a zero point; normally inactive means disposed adjacent said feeding means and operatively configured with said clutch means so as to be activatable to de-clutch said clutch means thereby to halt the feeding operation; movable means operatively associated with said activatable means and disposed in the path of movement of said indicator and adapted to be moved thereby for activating said activatable means; and resilient means carried by said power transmission means and operative upon de clutching of said transmission means for returning said index means to its zero position.

15. In an apparatus for marking a linear article in longitudinally spaced loci disposed on each of two opposite portions of the periphery thereof; means for rotating said article about its longitudinal axis from an initial position with respect to the marking means to aposition lying substantially 180 of are away from its initial position, comprising: a source of power; hollow collet means disposed in the onward path of said linear article in peripheral relation thereto, said collet means including rotary power receiving means arranged coaxially thereof and adapted to be rotated by the power means of said power source; a collet-sleeve disposed in said path at the one end of said collet and normally lying longitudinally displaced therefrom; cam means operatively associated with said collet sleeve at the one end of the cam means and said cam means being engageable at the opposite end of the cam with an abutment thereby to enable clamping said sleeve onto said collet to radially seize said collet onto said linear article; and bidirectionally rotatable power transmission means operatively interposed between the power source and the collet means and adapted to engage the power-receiving means on said collet to effect said clamping and said bi-directional rotation and to alternately position said opposite portions with respect to said marking means.

16. in a machine of the type described: article-receiving and feeding means, said feeding means being activatable and de-activatable to respectively feed the article onwardly and to halt pre-detennined points of same in a predetermined position prime-mover; means adapted to drivingly connect the prime mover and the feeding means; a .first solenoid operatively so connected to said 'means'connecting the prime mover and the feeding means as enable the solenoid to respectively activate and de-activate said connecting means and said feedingmeans; a source of electrical energy; a pair of conductor paths extending therefrom and defining a circuit; a first conductor path extending across said pair of paths and connecting said solenoid in series to said energy source; a second conductor path extending across said pair of conductor paths and connecting said first prime mover in series to said energy source; rotary cam means drivenly connected -'to said first "prime mover, said cam means including a first component and a second component; contact relay :means having one electrical half connected in the first prime moveris conductor path and having the other half connected to said source and adapted to be operated by said first component of said cam means only at a predetermined point of the rotation thereof so as to then effect operation of said first solenoid; article marking means lyingoperatively adjacent the path of said article and adjacent said predetermined position, said means being activatable and de-activatable to mark said article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon; a second electrical prime-mover; means adapted to driv of the .machine; a first-electrical ingly connect the second prime move: and the marking means; a second solenoid operatively so connected to said means drivingly connecting said second prime mover and said marking means as to respectively enable activation andde-activation of the marking means; a third conductor path extending across said pair of conductor paths and connecting said second prime mover in series to said source; a :fourth conductor path extending across said pair of conductor paths and connecting said second solenoid in series to said source; electrical relay means having the one electrical half electrically connected in said fourth conductor, the outer electrical half being connected to said energy source; said second component of said cam means being adapted to contact and operate said electrical relay means at a predetermined point of the arc of rotation thereof; and means for enabling guided egress of the trailing end of said article from said apparatus after same has been delimited.

17. Apparatus for processing a linear article, comprising: a base adapted to support the components of the apparatus; a first source of power mounted on said base for driving connection to the apparatus; feeding means drivenly connected to said power source and mounted on said base and adapted to receive the leading end of said linear article and advance same onwardly in the apparatus; means operatively associated with the articlereceiving and advancing means and adapted for alternately effecting advancing and halting of said article; marking means disposed on said base onwardly in the apparatus of said advancing means for marking the halted linear article; means for rotating the halted linear article about its longitudinal axis .so as to enable the article to be marked on each of two opposite sides thereof by said marking means; and overall, or main, control means operatively connected to each of the aforesaid means for effecting pre-timed sequential operation thereof so as to issue the linear article from the apparatus bearing markings on each of two opposite sides thereof that are located at predetermined longitudinally spaced loci.

18. Apparatus for processing a linear article, comprising: a base adapted to support the components of the apparatus; a first source of power mounted on said base for driving connection to the apparatus; feeding means drivenly connected to said power source and mounted on said base and adapted to receive the leading end of said linear article and advance same onwardly in the apparatus; means operatively associated with the article-receiving and advancing means and adapted for alternately reflecting advancing and halting of said article; marking means disposed on :said base onwardly in the apparatus of said advancing means for marking the halted linear article; means disposed adjacent said marking means for radially clamping said linear article; means for rotating the clamping means in unison about their longitudinal axes so as to enable said marking means to mark the halted linear article on each of two opposite sides there of; and overall, or main, control means operatively connected to each of the aforesaid means for effecting pretimed sequential operation of the aforesaid means so as to issue the linear article from the apparatus bearing markings on each of two opposite sides thereof that are located at predetermined longitudinally spaced loci.

19. Apparatus for processing a linear article, comprising: a base adapted to support the components of the apparatus; a first source of power mounted on said base for driving connection to the apparatus; feeding means drivenly connected to said power source and mounted on said base and adapted to receive the leading end of said linear article and advance same onwardly in the appara tus; means operatively associated with the article-receiving and advancing means and adapted for alternately effecting advancing and halting of said article; marking means disposed on said base onwardly in the apparatus of said advancing means for marking the halted linear article; means for rotating the halted linear article about its longitudinal axis so as to enable the article to be marked on each of two opposite sides thereof by said marking means; controllable actuator means operatively connected to said means for rotating said article; timermeans operatively connected to said actuator means and adapted to periodically halt the advance of said linear article so as to enable said rotating means to cause marking of said linear article on said sides; and overall, or main, control means operatively connected to each of the aforesaid means for eifecting pre-timed sequential operation of the aforesaid means so as to issue the linear article from the apparatus bearing markings on each of two opposite sides thereof that are located at predetermined longitudinally spaced loci.

20. Apparatus for processing a linear article, comprising: a base adapted to support the components of the apparatus; a first source of power mounted on said base for driving connection to the apparatus; feeding means drivenly connected to said power source and mounted on said base and adapted to receive the leading end of said linear article and advance same onwardly in the apparatus; means operatively associated with the article-receiving and advancing means and adapted for alternately effecting advancing and halting of said article; marking mcans disposed on said base onwardly in the apparatus of said advancing means for marking the halted linear article; variable-diameter clamping means for radiallyclamping the linear article disposed adjacent said marking means and lying radially outwardly of and coaxially around the path of movement of said linear article; means for rotating the clamped article about its longitudinal axis so as to enable the marking means to mark said article on each of two opposite sides thereof; and overall, or main, control means operatively connected to each of the aforesaid means for effecting pre-timed sequential operation of the aforesaid means so as to issue the linear article from the apparatus bearing markings on each of two opposite sides thereof that are located at predetermined longitudinally spaced loci.

21. In apparatus of the type described for marking a linear article on each of two opposite portions of the periphery thereof: means for rotating said article about its longitudinal axis and comprising a power source; collect means disposed radially adjacent the linear article; power-receiving means arranged coaxially of said collect means and adapted to be driven by said source; a longitudinally extending sleeve disposed coaxially of said collect means; cam means having one end disposed operatively adjacent said sleeve; an abutment adjacent the opposite end of said cam means and engageable thereby to eifect clamping of said sleeve onto said collet thereby to radially urge said collet means onto said linear article; and rotary power transmission means interposed operatively between the power source and the power-receiving means.

22. in apparatus of the type described and including linear article receiving and feeding means activatable and deactivatable to respectively feed the article onwardly and to halt same in a predetermined position in the machine, control means comprising: a first electrical prime-mover; means adapted to drivingly connect the prime mover and the article-feeding means; a first electromagnetic actuator operatively so connected to the first-said means as to enable said actuator to respectively activate and deactivate said drivingly connecting means and said feeding means; a source of electrical energy; a pair of conductor paths extending therefrom and defining a circuit; first conductor means extending operatively across said pair of conductor paths and connecting said actuator means in series to said energy source; a second conductor means extending operatively across said pair of conductor paths and connecting said first prime mover in series to said energy source; rotary cam means drivenly connected to said prime-mover and including a first component and a second component; and contact relay means having one electrical half connected in the conductor path of said first prime mover, said relay means having its other electrical half connected to said source and adapted to be operated by said first component of said cam means at a predetermined point in the rotation of said cam means thereby to effect operation of said actuator, wherebyto then efiect onward feeding of said article.

23. In apparatus of the type described and including linear article receiving and feeding means activatable and deactivatable to respectively feed the article onwardly and to halt same in a predetermined position in the machine, control means comprising: a first electrical primemover means adapted to drivingly connect the prime mover and the article-feeding means; a first electromagnetic actuator operatively so connected to the firstsaid means as to enable said actuator to respectively acti: I

vate and deactivate said drivingly connecting means and said feeding means; a source of electrical energy; a pair of conductor paths extending therefrom and defining, a circuit; first conductor means extending operatively across said pair of conductor paths and connecting said actuator means in series to said energy source; second conductor means extending operatively across said pair of conductor paths and connecting said first prime mover in series to said energy source; rotary cam means drivenly connected to said prime-mover and including a first component and a second component; and contact relay means having one electrical half connected in the conductor path of said first prime mover, said relay means having its other electrical half connected to said source and adapted to be operated by said first component of said cam means at a predetermined point in the rotation of said cam means thereby to effect operation of said actuator, whereby to then effect onward feeding of said article; article-marking means lying operatively adjacent the path of said article and adjacent said predetermined position, said means being activatable and de-activatable to mark said article in longitudinally spaced loci thereon; a second electrical prime-mover; means adapted to drivingly connect the prime mover and the marking means; and a second electromagnetic actuator operatively so connected to the aforesaid means that drivingly connect the second primemover and the marking means as to enable it to respectively activate and de-activate said marking means.

24. In apparatus of the type described and including linear article receiving and feeding means activatable and deactivatable to respectively feed the article onwardly and to halt same in a predetermined position in the machine, control means comprising: a first electrical primemover; means adapted to drivingly connect the prime mover and the article-feeding means; a first electromagnetic actuator operatively so connected to the firstsaid means as to enable said actuator to respectively activate and de-activate said drivingly connecting means and said feeding means; a source of electrical energy; a pair of conductor paths extending therefrom and defining a circuit; first conductor means extending operatively across said pair of conductor paths and connecting said actuator means in series to said energy source; second conductor means extending operatively across said pair of conductor paths and connecting said first prime mover in series to said energy source; rotary cam means drivenly connected to said prime-mover and including a first component and a second component; and contact relay means having one electrical half connected in the conductor path of said first prime mover, said relay means having its other electrical half connected to said source and adapted to be operated by said first component of said cam means at a predetermined point in the rotation of said cam means thereby to effect operation of said actuator, whereby to then effect onward feeding of said article; third conductor means extending operatively across the first-said pair of conductor paths and connecting said second prime mover in 25 series to said source; fourth conductor means extending operatively across the first-said pair of conductor paths and connecting the second-said electromagnetic actuator means in series to said source; second electrical relay means having one of its electrical halves electrically interposed in said fourth conductor means, its other electrical half being connected to said energy source; said second component of said rotary cam means being adapted to contact and operate said second relay means at a predetermined point of the arc of rotation thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

